Improvement in inside blinds



E.- METCALF. lnside.Blin ds.

Patented July 29,1873.

3 iilitnmm A @1111 AM PHOTO-LITHOGRAFHIC ca m5 (oseor-mz's moczss) UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

ELLIOTT METGALF, OF ROME, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN INSIDE BLINDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,286, dated July 29, 1873 5 application filed May 10, 1873.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIOTT METGALF, of Rome, in the county of Oneida'and State of New York, have invented a new and. useful Improvement in Venetian Window-Shades, of which the following is a specification:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a windowframe supplied with my improved Venetian windowshade. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section in line 0 c, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention has for its object to improve the construction of Venetian or inside blinds, so as to render the same capable of receiving a more general and perfect adjustment; and it consists in the arrangement of an upper roller, carrying front and rear ribbons, attached to the slats of the blind, and provided with cords for suspending the same, so as to enable the blind to be lowered and raised from the top, which, together with the angular adjustment of the slats effected by turning the roller, and the vertical movement of the slats from the bottom accomplished by elevatingcords, renders a blind of this description more simple and desirable in use than others heretofore constructed. The invention further consists in a novel method of attaching the slat-shifting ribbons to the latter, dispensing, with the use of rivets, staples, or other fastenin g devices, and insuring, also, a more perfect closing of the slats; and it consists in passing or looping the ribbons through slots near the edges of the slats, so that when the latter are in a vertical or closed position the edges of the same will abut more perfectly than in ordinary blinds.

In the drawing, A represents a windowframe of suitable shape; B, a roller, suspended, by strings a, from eye-screws b that are fastened to the upper part of the frame A. By slackening these strings,or by unfastenin g them from a button, d, the roller B, with all its appendages, can be let down more or less. 0 are bands, which connect the several slats D of the shade on the back and front faces of the same. For the purpose of so fastenin g, each band is laid over the roller, secured thereto so as to be suspended in two lengths from the same, of which one is fastened to the back, the other to the front, of each slat.

By turning the roller B on its axis by means of the string 6, which is laid around it, the bands will be so moved as to more or less incline the slats and admit more or less light to the room.

By applying the bands 0 to both sides of the shade the slats will be held muchmore firmly than when held on one side only, as has been customary, and their adjustment to a greater or less degree of inclination will be more conveniently and perfectly produced than could otherwise be done.

Although I have shown in the drawing several modes of fastening the ribbons to the slats, yet I prefer to elfect the same by passing the ribbons through slots h h near the edges of the slats, forming a loop, as shown, and causing the ribbon to be outside the slats when the latter are in a vertical or closed position, so as to permit their adjacent edges to abut more perfectly than heretofore.

E E are strings connected with the lowermost slat of the shade, and extending through transverse slots 13 i in the other slats, and through the back length of the bands 0 to the upper part of the frame, where they pass through eyelets, as shown. These strings serve to contract and elevate the shade, and are entirely concealed from view by being placed between the two lengths of each band, as is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l. A

Having thus 7 described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A Venetian window-blind, composed of the roller B. lowering-cords a, adjusting-cords e, shifting-ribbons 0 attached to the roller, and to the front and rear edges of the slats D, and combined with the elevating-cords E, when the various parts are constructed and arranged as shown, to permit the blind to be lowered from the top, to be raised from the bottom, and to enable the slats to be opened or closed, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a Venetian blind, the shifting-ribbons 0, combined with the slats D, when thesribbons pass through slots h h near the edges of the slats, as and for the purpose-set forth.

ELLIOTT METOALF.

Witnesses:

G. W. FALMY, H. L. STILLMAN. 

